


Seaside Window

by LozisLaw



Category: South Park
Genre: Alternate Universe, Beach House, Biology, Developing Friendships, Discovery, Dolphins & Whales, Fish out of Water, Forbidden Love, Hiding, Interspecies Romance, LITERALLY, Laboratories, Love, M/M, Marine Biology, Marine Mammals, Mermaids, Multi, Ocean, Orca Whale, Science Experiments, Slice of Life, Weird Biology, Whales, merman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:48:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24859420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LozisLaw/pseuds/LozisLaw
Summary: Kyle's state of sanity seems to be tested when the discovery of an orca type whale creature with severe pollution reaction gets caught in netting in the ocean. Once it's rescued, Kyle realises that it's not a deformed orca whale, but something that should be even more unsettling. And even more because this orca whale seems to be very handsome, and has the top half of a human body.He discounts this as a mermaid. It can't be.And yet.
Relationships: Kyle Broflovski/Stan Marsh
Comments: 16
Kudos: 66





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Glob, I've had this one for awhile. You might be questioning; 'why don't you update your previous works? Why do you just start new ones?'
> 
> Well, I'll answer that with another question; ''Yes, very much.''
> 
> Good talk.

The morning air had a wisp of salty chills that stung Kyle’s cheek as he walked through the marina. The wind had been kicking up in recent weeks, making usually quiet peaceful mornings harsh with sea spray wind. Kyle wore a bulky rain jacket over his knit jumper, hiding him inside like a warm cocoon, as he strode outside with his testing kit in hand.

He liked doing the water reading early in the morning, so he wasn’t interrupted by anyone, be it busy families with screaming children, or the occasional fisherman trying their luck in the dense water. It was better without people, and Kyle liked the howling whistle of the wind on his ears as he measured the water. The marina was pretty polluted, in the deep depths of the area that led to the ocean in a small opening to allow small boats through. The laboratory was nearby, on the edge for easy transportation of the rehabilitated ocean life for release. Kyle worked as a marine biologist for the rehabilitation centre for whales and dolphins, and this was his job nearly every morning.

Walking along the slatted pathway over the water for holding boats, the ocean water rippled in noisy crashes against the boats, making them wobble and sway at the force. This was the most relaxing part, and why Kyle moved to Los Angeles in the first place. Being in such a restricted weather before, the ocean was an awe inspiring constant that was suddenly in his life all the time that he decided he’d stay here forever. He’s done well so far too, to afford the city- too well, even. His house by the shore had the best view of the ocean, and if Kyle was lucky, on weekends he caught the whales out far from a distance, which was the most special thing. He loved whales, dolphins too, but something about them was just too amazing not to consider studying for a living.

So when he was choosing a career, his first choice was obviously the one passion that kept him going through high school, even in his small mountain town, where no proper body of water lay for a thousand miles. Deciding to pack up and move for college, then his job in California, was a bit of a no brainer. He was ready to get out of the mountains for good, at that point.

Kyle knelt down on the walkway, administering the testing kit, and sticking it into the water. He stared out into the lapping water as he took the water readings, and peered down to see under the reflections skewed on the surface. It was dark and hard to see, but the early morning sun illuminated through enough for Kyle to see the heavy reeds swaying up from the deep bottom floor of the body of water. Fish in this area were swarming with California Sheephead, but they were crafty fuckers to catch, so only the seasoned fishers attempted their lines on them. Kyle couldn’t see any at the moment, and focused back on the readings. It wasn’t a particularly fun project, but they were good to start the day off, mostly for getting to come out near the ocean. Most of Kyle’s day consisted of conducting species inventories, mapping the distribution, ranges, or movements of marine populations, and if he’s lucky, testing on the rehabilitated whales in recovery from being caught in lines, pollution, or general illnesses. He wasn’t allowed to do that all day though, so he did scientific applications in the meantime. It’s done his wallet a few favours at least.

After completing the morning reading, Kyle packed up his equipment in the special bag, and hopped back up. This was arguably the worst part too, because he had to turn away from this gorgeous marina and head into his stuffy lab for the rest of the day until late afternoon. He took a deep breath, preparing to go back, when he glanced down at the water again. In a split second, Kyle caught a flash of dark skim past the water, only just visible. Naturally, he was curious, because it moved too fast, and was obviously way too big at that depth to be California Sheephead. Kyle walked further up the dock, trying to spot it in the water again, narrowing his eyes to see as little as a single twitch in the water.

The cold morning air chilled him, and he sunk his neck further into his collar, vaguely thinking about warm coffee back in the office. He kept walking, and abruptly stopped when he realised he made it to the end of the dock. Everything was still, the water was lightly lapping at the side of the dock. Looking out into the murky water again, Kyle tried to see anything to put a name to. He crouched down for a closer look, not sure why he was so intrigued to finding the fish. He should head back.

Just then, he saw it, clear as day, in between the depths of reed, was something big and black. Really big, actually, and peered closer. He widened his eyes when he saw it started thrashing violently. It must have been caught in some netting waste. Pollution made him sick, and he tried to think about what he could do. But hang on- oh god.

It was an orca whale. What the hell was an orca whale doing this close to shore? They never came into the marina, it was too small. But Kyle had been studying them for years, he knew one when he saw one, and now he could also see discernible white spots. Kyle’s heart sped faster as he panicked and looked around, for something to help. Thinking quick, Kyle fetched a switch blade from his pocket he kept, and hastily shucked his rain coat and jumper off, looking back at the water with trepidation for only a second, before shaking the fear out of his system completely, letting adrenaline overtake him.

He hoped someone would someday acknowledge how far he would go for his beloved whales, as he jumped off the dock and dived headfirst into the water, knife in hand, as he collided with the frozen morning temperature of the water. Kyle ignored the spike of his skin as he held his breath and swam down to the thrashing creature. It was very dark, and Kyle’s eyes stung from the salt water, but he made it down, keeping his distance as its powerful tail moved like a lethal sword of black and white. He saw the rope tangled in its fin, and swam as close as he could without risking getting hit. This whale was small, hadn’t fully grown it’s potential size, which was lucky in Kyle’s case, because it wouldn’t have developed full muscles yet. Muscles that could easily crush his bones in an angry wack of its powerful tail. He didn’t know how he could get in there enough to free it, but he had to try. It was his job, after all. He held his breath, making sure to keep it so he wouldn’t run out of air before he could save the whale. He flipped out the knife, and swam closer, trying to find a rope he could sever. Thank Moses he could hold his breath for ages.

The whale was kicking its tail out in hysteria, desperately trying to get free. Kyle was facing the tail, and its head was in a large reed, obscured. The body of the tail was in net, cutting into the creature with the more movement it made, and Kyle shifted to it, wasting no time to cut the net free with his blade, and then another, until the cuts were no longer under the tight pressure. The fin stopped thrashing so much, seemed to make the understanding that Kyle was helping, or that it was being freed. This is what he loved about whales, they were so smart. No time to appreciate them right now, his breath was running out, he’d need to resurface very soon- save the whale or not. He moved further up where more rope was tangled, and started cutting. There was weird colouring further up, and Kyle thought maybe it was infected. The texture changed, and the shape of the whale. It was probably pollution poisoning. They’d been seeing this recently, whales born with mangled fins and shapes due to the toxic environment they inhabit in cities like Los Angeles. It was heartbreaking, and probably why this poor creature was so small and mottled now. He cut through a large knot with a grunt that released some air- he needed to surface right now. The rope fell away and back into the depths of the ocean floor. The orca moved, and Kyle swayed away, letting it recover without getting hit by the fin. It turned around, and Kyle could see the rest of it.

Two pure blue eyes, very bright and very human. Kyle gasped and jerked away underwater, releasing the last of his held breath. Water filled his mouth, and he tried to close it, but he could feel it seeping into his lungs, and he needed air. His vision clouded, he dropped the blade, and he couldn’t see where he was anymore. Kyle blacked out, feeling swaying haziness.

Pure black.

Two blue eyes.

Coldness.

Kyle woke up coughing a tsunami of sea water from his lungs, heaving his breath and catching it again in panting jerks. The brightness was blinding when he opened his eyes. His vision might have played tricks on him, but he was remembering what he saw underwater. The eyes first, bright eyes, gazing down on him. On a face, a concerned man’s face. He had black hair that dripped wet onto Kyle’s face, making him blink. Wait- he was awake, he was seeing this now in real life. He didn’t see a man down there, it was just a hallucination he had from lack of oxygen. The man peered down at him, and Kyle slowly regained his thought processes, coughing up water when he tried to breathe. Kyle sat up, heaving the last of the ocean from his body, holding his chest and closing his eyes. What happened? He tried to save a whale from netting with a measly pocket knife, and nearly drowned.

Kyle opened his eyes again, shifting against the rocks under him. Where was he? He looked around, seeing the water lapping beside him, he was on the rock bed by the marina on the other side of the docks. How did he get here? Kyle looked back at the man opposite him, whose eyes were wide and worried. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and in Kyle’s mangled brain state, he could only think; _damn_.

‘’What happened?’’ Kyle asked, feeling his wet clothes. Thank god he didn’t bring his phone with him. It would be so dead now. The black haired man shook his head.

‘’You nearly drowned down there. Are you okay?’’ The man asked. Kyle nodded slowly, feeling a headache looming in the front of his head. His face was stinging from the salt water, his eyes blinking out the blur overtaking his vision.

‘’Is the whale okay?’’ Kyle asked, looking back into the ocean as though it might pop its head out and say thanks. He probably had a concussion, somehow.

‘’Yeah. Thanks for that, by the way,’’ The man said.

‘’Thanks for what?’’ Kyle asked, turning back to him, and tracing his eyes down his chest again, and down his long black and white tail. His tail. A tail.

_Holy Shit._

‘’Wha!’’ Kyle sputtered and hastily shifted himself as far back on the rock as he could, boggling at him. The man, could he even be called that? Lifted his tail from the edge of the water, leaning on his side as he sat on the rocks. He widened his eyes as Kyle’s shock, looking down on himself.

‘’Oh. _Oh_ \- shit. Sorry, I forgot the mermaid was supposed to disappear after they saved the human. My bad,’’ he shrugged, and Kyle blinked about a million times. He didn’t know what to do, what to think.

The cold air was making him tense, his wet clothes clinging to his skin, and he couldn’t draw his eyes away, in a state of pure paralysis. He felt poisoned, as though swimming to the depths somehow made him sick.

‘’What the fuck?’’ Kyle said louder, staring, marvelling at him. He had a man’s head and torso, everything was normal, human, but he didn’t have legs! He had an orca’s tail and fin. Was pollution this bad now?

‘’Sorry, I knew you’d be freaked out. I just wanted to say thank you, for getting me out of those nets. I’ve never come across a human willing to go out of their way to do that,’’ the man- fish, whale, whatever, said. Kyle continued to stare, his jaw on the ground somewhere.

‘’You’re, uh, welcome,’’ Kyle said anyway, feeling like he’d maybe passed some hippies smoking pot and whiffed some on accident on his way to work. That made more sense than what he was seeing. The man brightened anyway.

‘’This is actually my first interaction with a human, that didn’t try to kill me afterwards,’’ the man said. Kyle blinked again.

‘’Am I high? What the fuck is going on? Who are you? What are you?’’ Kyle asked, words spilling out of him with burning questions that will be ready once he accepts that he’s not high, or hallucinating still. Maybe he died?

‘’I thought you had loads of media about mermaids already, so familiarise yourself with the concept. Like the little mermaid- even though I hate that movie. God. It doesn’t matter how irrationally in love you are with a stranger, anyone who would give up their tail is a retard,’’ the merman said.

Right, merman, that’s okay, yeah. Kyle’s high. He knows it.

‘’I can’t- I’m high. This isn’t real,’’ Kyle tried so hard to close his eyes and stop seeing this fantasy creature manifestation. One that could speak really good English, which felt wrong, but whatever. It’s not real. Why did he save the whale? It was obviously bad news. Whales don’t come into the marina, he should know that.

‘’You were that whale I cut loose?’’ Kyle asked, needing some direction here, because the longer he sat here on this rock, the less he could convincingly believe that he was high, and a mermaid wasn’t sitting across from him, staring at him as though nothing was out of the ordinary.

‘’Yeah, but I’m not a whale. I get the misunderstanding though, ‘cause of my colouring, which is a family thing. Are you a fisherman?’’ the merman asked. Kyle had about a million more questions, once he fully accepted that he wasn’t experiencing second-hand high.

‘’Uh, no. I’m a marine biologist, specialising in orca whales. Am I actually seeing you right now? Is it in my head?’’ Kyle asked, not trusting himself to know. This was too crazy. He glanced around them, but the marina was still empty, still early in the morning, but the sunrise was hitting them now with a soft yellow glow.

‘’I’m real. You’ve really never seen a mermaid, or anything like that?’’ the merman asked, looking surprised. Kyle shook his head.

‘’Was I supposed to?’’ Kyle asked. The merman cracked a smirk.

‘’Funny. I guess you wouldn’t of here, I’ve been swimming this area for a while, and I haven’t seen any others. I think they must like Europe more, they were flooding in that area. I’m a bit of a traveller, I don’t stay in one place for long,’’ the merman said. Kyle was actually starting to understand what this creature was saying. Saying! Ha, but seriously.

‘’I didn’t think you were anything more than a myth made into a children fantasy,’’ Kyle admitted, staring at the mind boggling creature, really observing everything. The bottom half kept drawing his eyes down, with his big imposing tail, but he couldn’t deny that the top half was something to stare at in itself.

‘’What’s your name?’’ the merman asked. Did it really ask that?

‘’Kyle,’’ he replied anyway.

‘’My name’s Stan,’’ the merman responded back. Stan didn’t sound like a magical sort of name at all. But he couldn’t really think of any mermaid names aside from Ariel and Triton.

‘’That’s a disarmingly average human name,’’ Kyle said. The man- Stan, grinned.

‘’My full name is Stannis Swishy Waterworth,’’ Stan said.

‘’Oh- uh.’’

Stan smiled at Kyle’s bewildered face.

‘’I’m kidding. It’s just Stan. Last names don’t matter,’’ Stan said.

‘’Oh!’’ Kyle was relieved. ‘’That’s good. Did you just make that up?’’

‘’Maybe,’’ Stan smirked. ‘’Is Kyle your full name? Or is it Kyle fleshlegs Walkalot?’’ Stan asked impishly, leaning on his hands as he supported himself on the rockbed. Kyle laughed, putting aside his long continuing shock. He had the whole day to freak out. But now he could only think of what discoveries he could make by studying this creature, who seemed more than willing to talk. If only he could get him into his lab.

‘’I’m still confused. Why did you save me? You said humans tried to kill you,’’ Kyle said.

‘’Well, you saved me first. Regardless of how evil you might have been, I thought it was fair. I didn’t mean to actually stay up here so you could see me, I just worried you were dead, and I had to make sure,’’ Stan said. Kyle was overwhelmingly flattered. He’s counting this as the whales repaying everything he’s done for them.

‘’Thank you. I’m not gonna kill you, but I’ve got about a million questions, if you don’t mind,’’ Kyle said. Stan glanced back down to the water, and Kyle experienced a mild panic, thinking he would disappear forever as soon as he was allowed out of Kyle’s grasp. Then he looked back at Kyle, smiled.

‘’That’s okay. I just can’t tell you where the mermaids habitats are, because you might betray me and go hunting for them,’’ Stan said.

‘’I would never do that! I’m one of the good guys, okay I help rehabilitate sick whales and dolphins. I love marine creatures, even mermaids. Who I didn’t even know existed until a few minutes ago,’’ Kyle said.

‘’I thought nobody cared about the whales and dolphins, when they’re endangered,’’ Stan said with a huff.

‘’Do I need to prove myself? I dove into freezing water to save you when I thought you were a caught whale. What were you doing in the marina anyway?’’ Kyle asked.

‘’I was looking for fish,’’ Stan said.

‘’Really? How would you catch them? Do you use tools?’’

‘’I just use my hands,’’ Stan said. Kyle boggled at him.

‘’Are you kidding me? Fishermen struggle for ages just to keep those bastards on a line, and you just use your hands?’’ Kyle asked in disbelief.

‘’I’m not a human, remember. It’s easy for me,’’ Stan said, showing Kyle his hands. Kyle stared, cautious. Stan kept his arms outstretched, nodded at him that it was okay, then shuffled closer, and took one of them in his hands. They were surprisingly warm, and Kyle felt the texture of his fingertips. They were prickled, and slippery, and he eyed them closer, seeing little miniscule hooks on his hands.

‘’That’s amazing!’’ Kyle said in awe, turning his hand over and looking for anything else. He looked up at Stan and grinned, and Stan’s cheeks went red, and he smiled.

‘’What were you doing out here?’’ Stan asked. Kyle kept his grip on Stan’s marvellous fish hook hands.

‘’Collecting water testing samples. I was using a kit- oh! My kit, it’s back on the dock,’’ Kyle turned his head to the other side of the marina, where the dock were still empty, but it wouldn’t be for long. His wet clothes were chilling him in the cold wind, but he wouldn’t leave yet. He had to know more.

‘’I can go and get it for you, if you’d like,’’ Stan said.

‘’But what if I’m dreaming, and if you leave, you don’t come back,’’ Kyle worriedly said, looking back at him, blushing when he was so close. Stan laughed.

‘’I promise I won’t leave for good. Just hang on for a minute, I’ll get it,’’ Stan said, turning back to the water.

‘’Do you even know what it looks like?’’ Kyle asked.

‘’I assume it’s the only thing sitting on the docks, if that’s what you mean,’’ Stan said.

‘’Oh, alright,’’ Kyle said apprehensively, watching in awe as Stan slipped back into the water with a splash, disappearing back under the darkness. Kyle sat on the edge, watching as his corporal form slithered out of sight. Just as though he wasn’t there to begin with, everything was silent again. The only evidence that Stan had existed to begin with was the ripples in the water from his re-entry, and the wet spot on the rock beside Kyle. He wanted to believe it was real, that he was seeing a miracle of nature, but these things didn’t happen, ever. They happened in sappy shit like Disney movies. How the fuck did Stan know about the little mermaid? It’s not like he had cable down in the ocean depths.

Kyle was starting to believe that he actually was high the whole time, and he was shivering, shaking water from his hair, dripping on his face. If he stayed out any longer trying to believe it was real, he’ll get hypothermia or something. He should head back.

Just as he was about to get up, convinced he would go to therapy immediately, a splash from the water gave him a heart attack, making him flinch back with a pounding heart. Stan resurfaced from the water, hoisting himself up on the rock with his hands, dripping everywhere. Having the water course down his torso was surprisingly hypnotising, and Kyle averted his eyes when he realised he was staring. Stan shook his hair, flicking water at Kyle. He held up a secured black box to Kyle, and Kyle beamed. His testing kit, which actually belonged to the lab, and he would have had to pay for it himself if he lost it.

‘’Thank you,’’ Kyle said gratefully, taking back the box. Stan smiled, and brushed his hair back out of his face.

‘’What’s it for?’’ Stan asked, as Kyle put it aside, away from the water.

‘’It tests the water quality of the marina, which we use for studies,’’ Kyle said. Stan perked up.

‘’That’s pretty cool. Do you interact with the whales and dolphins much?’’ Stan asked.

‘’Sometimes, if I’m lucky. Usually I’m doing stuff like this though. I’m sorry- but this is so insane. Right? I’m going crazy. I’m talking to a mermaid.’’

‘’It’s pretty crazy for me too. I see humans a lot, from below the water, but most of them seem very self-obsessed and overweight. You’re not overweight at all,’’ Stan said.

‘’Thanks,’’ Kyle said, choosing to accept the fish man’s insane compliment. ‘’You’re not overweight either,’’ Kyle said, eyeing his chest. His top half was very toned, something like the lore of mermaids in fairy tales would say the merman are ripped, and the women are big breasted. There was no way to know, but Kyle wondered if that was true, given Stan’s own dimensions that were currently proving the stereotype true. When his eyes lingered down to his long glimmering tail, Kyle drew away from staring, even though he was burning to know more. He still looked kind of human, and it was alarmingly disarming, ironically enough.

‘’Swimming every moment of the day does that,’’ Stan chuckled, drawing Kyle’s eyes back up to his face. He flushed, and shivered, remembering his soaking wet clothes clinging to his goosebumps. He should probably change before he gets hypothermia.

‘’What else do you have?’’ Kyle asked.

‘’What do you mean?’’

‘’I mean like, is there any other miracle of science on your body besides your tail and hook hands?’’

Stan snorted, probably at the use of the word ‘hook hands’, and Kyle caught a look of his teeth.

‘’Oh! Your teeth!’’ Kyle exclaimed, sitting forward. They were sharp and pointed, but weirdly pure white. Kind of like an orca. Stan opened his mouth, and Kyle scooted closer to him, feeling his fear roll of his body as he took Stan’s jaw and inspected his teeth closer.

‘’That’s amazing!’’ Kyle remarked, peering closer. Stan chuckled, his mouth his pried open by Kyle. His skin was cool and silky to the touch, and it made Kyle shiver more.

‘’You don’t have teeth like this?’’ Stan asked. Kyle opened his own mouth to show Stan his own, much less sharp, much more human, teeth. Stan inspected his own, and Kyle released his jaw. Having Stan touch his own face and inspect it made his stomach uneasy, but he ignored it.

‘’Wow, how do you eat? You’ve got no sharpness, it’s like it’s sanded down,’’ Stan said, releasing his jaw. Kyle touched his face where Stan left it, his cheeks tingling with a shiver along with something not unlike a flush.

‘’We don’t use our teeth to cut into raw meat or anything. We’ve evolved to eat softer things, cooked things,’’ Kyle explained.

‘’What do you eat?’’ Stan asked, brightening.

‘’Oh, where to start,’’ Kyle chuckled. ‘’We eat lots of different things, like fruit and vegetables, stuff you grow on land rather than in the ocean, bread and meat, sometimes even fish. But we cook food differently, and add things to make it taste better, like seasoning,’’ Kyle said, wondering if Stan would understand these things. He knew what the little mermaid was, so who knows.

‘’Seasoning?’’ Stan asked.

‘’It’s like flavouring, to make food taste better. It can be in the form of spices, sugars, salts. Like the taste of the ocean,’’ Kyle said.

‘’Huh. We don’t have that. We usually eat fish raw. The different fish tastes vary depending on the climate,’’ Stan said.

‘’Fascinating,’’ Kyle said, entranced by him, his mind already whirling with potential ideas. ‘’This needs to be documented somehow.’’

Stan flinched at the thought, or maybe the idea that Kyle would conduct at any idea of experimentation. Kyle backtracked, desperate not to scare this once in a lifetime opportunity to turn away in fear. He, as a self-respecting scientist, was obligated to discover more about this beautiful creature. Plus he was extremely fascinated by him, this- this-- Stan.

‘’No, sorry. I only meant I’d love to learn more about you. I’ve never met a merman before,’’ Kyle said, half-joking, and though he thought he ever would. Stan smirked.

‘’Well I’m here now,’’ Stan offered, smiling kindly.

‘’This is crazy though, you don’t owe me anything, if anything I owe you everything I have! You saved my life- I mean.’’

‘’Don’t think like that, I owe you plenty, you did potentially put yourself in danger when I got caught in the ropes,’’ Stan said, his eyes bright and gleaming thankfulness and kindness that no human deserved. Kyle felt chuffed.

‘’It’s my job to protect all marine creatures. I would be breaking an oath I made if I’d left you,’’ Kyle said honestly.

‘’What was your oath?’’ Stan asked softly. Only then did Kyle notice the sun coming up. He’d have to leave this moment soon, Stan surely, he wouldn’t want to be seen by the public. He had to get back to the lab too, with the testing kit Stan rescued for him.

‘’That I’d do anything for the ocean, and I’d protect all marine creatures with my very life if I had to,’’ Kyle offered sincerely. One of his co-workers had called him crazy and intense when he made that vow and made the mistake of telling anyone, and taunted him about his persisting ‘boner’ for the ocean for months afterward. Kyle no longer professionally worked with them. He was deeply relieved. That guy was a dick.

Stan offered no such emotion as that co-worker. He only smiled, his wet eyes somehow darker and more intense than Kyle had ever seen them this morning. The sun was hitting him now, making Stan’s pale ethereal skin glimmer with soft yellow sunlight.

‘’That’s a really good oath to make,’’ Stan said after a while of staring. Kyle flushed and averted his gaze, acutely aware he’d been staring too long, despite the obvious curiosity of his biology.

‘’Thank you,’’ Kyle said, embarrassed he’d told him, though if anyone deserved to hear it, it was Stan, technically one of his beloved marine creatures. Not that horrible past co-worker that made fun of him for having a passion and dedication.

Just then, in the distance, voices broke into their quiet serenity of the early morning, and Stan flinched away, giving Kyle and openly desperate look that Kyle deciphered easily. He couldn’t be seen by anyone else.

‘’I’m sorry,’’ Stan apologised hurriedly, and Kyle panicked, as he edged back to the water as if to disappear again, for good this time.

‘’Wait!’’ Kyle said hurriedly, making Stan pause. ‘’Don’t go yet! I- I wanna- I need to see you again, please I-’’

‘’I can’t stay here,’’ Stan said, glancing to the direction of the incoming voice that steadily got louder. ‘’I wanna see you again too.’’

‘’Then please, don’t go- let’s, um-‘’ Kyle scrambled for an idea, panicking more as the voices got louder, and Stan slipped back into the water, hiding his lower half back into the black depths of the marina. Kyle irrationally prepared himself to the edge, ready to grab Stan and pull him back from disappearing back into the forgotten black of the water, lost to Kyle for good.

When Kyle rushed forward to fast and slipped his hands on the wet smooth rock, he nearly tumbled into the water himself headfirst, and Stan quickly caught him by the shoulders, holding up from falling further, their faces two inches apart. Kyle found himself pleading desperately into innately sad blue eyes, trying to beg him without words not to go, not really sure what he was doing. He just needed more from this man, mermaid, whoever he was. He couldn’t discount himself as crazy like he feared, this felt too real to dismiss without going insane with longing to see him again.

‘’Come and find me,’’ Stan whispered to him, their faces still close. Kyle could feel the surprising heat from Stan’s breath on his lips. ‘’Come back tomorrow morning, the same time. I want to see you again too.’’

Kyle felt the words sear into his chest, remembering him saying that before. The repetition must mean he meant it. He wants to see Kyle again. Kyle’s not crazy, this isn’t a figment of his imagination. Stan, his merman, who is real, placing him back safely on the rock, and disappearing into the depths of nothing, as though he wasn’t ever there after all.

_I want to see you too._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry Alice, but this one comes first. You'll get your private investigator fic one day :P

The longer the day went, the more Kyle believed the whole thing had been a dream from suffering hypothermia. The longer he thought about it- because face it, he couldn’t think of much else that day but that experience with Stan, the longer he discounted himself as hysterical and insane. He’d probably check himself into an asylum to save him some humiliation. If his co-workers found out he suddenly believed in mermaids, they’d never let it go. He’d probably have to quit. But he did believe in them. Even if he was a crazy bastard, his crazy bastard eyes knew what they saw, what he touched, what he felt.

He was fucking useless all day in terms of getting work done. He could barely concentrate making himself a goddamn cup of coffee without shivering with the memory of Stan’s gloriously cool, wet hands holding him from collapsing into the ice water. That moment, he decided, was a little too intimate for his liking, for someone who’d just met a ridiculously attractive merman, who could also count as a fucking dolphin. Jesus Christ, it was his dad all over again.

His co-workers must have noticed at some point his lagging brain and incapability to do a goddamn thing properly, because they came up to him during the day and gave him shit, asking him stuff that was none of their business. He’d never gotten close to any of them, so he didn’t hesitate being a bitch in response. He had bigger concerns in his mind anyway.

His real concerns, was figuring out if what he saw was actually a mermaid, or just a figment of his imagination. It seemed more plausible that he be crazy than he actually have a little mermaid case on his hands. That shit happened in Disney movies, not in fucking real life. He had to remember that, otherwise he’d actually go back to the dock and try to find Stan again when they planned.

That that was ridiculous. He’d already decided as soon as Stan suggested it, that he’d be there, just for the chance to gaze upon him again.

In the back of Kyle’s mind, he was considering examining Stan, but the mere notion of it suggested to Stan proved that was off the table. It wasn’t his major concern, though he was kind of dying to know more about Stan’s biology. Did Stan talk about mermaid nests? There were more of them? Thoughts like that threw Kyle through a loop as the day progressed. He wondered if Stan had a family, or kids, or a mermaid wife. He looked old enough to had done that, if Kyle is thinking pure biological terms. But what the hell did he know? He knew nothing about mermaids. He could be the heavenly father of all mermaids for all Kyle knows. Heavenly all right.

The day took forever to end, and Kyle was actually shaky in the bones by the time he could clock off and go home. He was bugged with everything mermaid, unable to get anything else into his brain. He also had an idea, which he was using as a coping mechanism to get through the next twelve hours until he could see Stan.

He was a fucking mess driving home, twitchy in the arms and slightly feverish. Maybe he actually did get hypothermia, and he was feeling the aftereffects only now. He could barely think straight when he got home, just hurried inside and fell into bed, curling up with Stan’s warm blue eyes blaring in his skull.

He woke up in the morning having forgotten everything for a few blissful unthinking moments, before shooting his eyes open when he remembered everything from the day before. He met a fucking mermaid. He was meeting him- ha him! Again this morning. But that’s right, his usual alarm was blaring, that’s what woke him up. It was the crack of dawn, his usual time. He got to work early most days, before the sun rose. He liked doing the readings at the sunrise, it was peaceful. He doubted this reading would be anything but enlightening. That’s if he wasn’t crazy, and imagined the whole thing up out of boredom or loneliness or something.

He was alone in this house, no roommates or family up here. His parents still lived in South Park, Ike was near finishing college already in New York. He was pretty much alone here. Kenny’s visited him like, once. He brought some young blonde floozy that as far as Kyle’s heard has since been dumped. He’s relieved though, she was a slut. She made a move on him once while he hosted them at his house. He had to tell her he’s gay so as to not cause a scene.

It’s not like he was lying, per say.

Kyle got dressed, donning a big woollen cardigan that nested him inside warmly for the frosty morning weather. It would soon get hot, but the mornings here were quite frigid. He didn’t particular mind, he’d been acclimated to the cold his whole life before moving to California. He wondered if Stan felt the cold. Probably not, he was always in water. Kyle was dying to study him closer.

Maybe he’d be able to this morning. He refused to give himself such hope, but he was biting back a grin as he left the house and got in his car, reminding himself to make a pitstop before he got to the docks.

**

Kyle had officially decided he’d gone insane when he walked down the wooden slats of the docks heavily anticipating any slight movement that could be mermaid like, whatever that was. It’s not like he hadn’t discounted himself as crazy this whole time, but now it felt like the official sign he should be in a mental hospital, when he physically tried looking for Stan in the water, like a crazy bastard would.

He was fully red in the face as he circled the dock back and forth three rimes and still saw no sign of his mermaid anyway. He couldn’t believe he’d actually followed through with his delusions, out of some hope that maybe Stan, the magical man with his favourite animal’s tail, with the ocean eyes and kind smile could actually be real. He was a crazy delusional hopeful bastard. And he needed to remember that so he never had hope again.

Kyle sighed and gave up looking, plonking himself down on the path and digging out the gift he had for his imagination. It was nothing that special, just a meal kit he got from the grocery store, but he thought he’d start Stan out small with human food and study what he thought about it, and if he could actually digest it.

He just ate it himself for breakfast, vowing to never listen to himself after nearly drowning ever again. To just ignore himself.

‘’Hi Kyle!’’ Stan exclaimed suddenly, jumping out of the water and splashing Kyle, who shouted in surprise.

‘’Jesus fuck!’’ Kyle exclaimed, holding his beating chest from exploding. ‘’Don’t fucking scare me like that!’’

‘’Sorry,’’ Stan said meekly, pulling himself up from the water and sitting beside Kyle, who blinked and tried to regain himself. Fuck himself. Mermaids were fucking real. Fuck the world.

‘’Christ, I thought I’d gone crazy,’’ Kyle said, looking down on his plastic container of food, and putting it aside to look at Stan. Stan smiled sweetly, and Kyle melted.

‘’I did too. I’ve never found a human who actually wants to be friends. They all want to sell me and dissect me usually,’’ Stan said.

‘’That’s disgusting,’’ Kyle said. He would never dissect such a beautiful creature. He’d study him while he watched- consensually, obviously. ‘’You’ve met other humans?’’

‘’Well, I’ve travelled all over, in some places I got unlucky and they caught me, so I did speak to some of them. I haven’t met anyone who was willing to sacrifice themselves to save me before,’’ Stan said, glowing.

‘’Well, you know, it’s my job. I love all marine creatures,’’ Kyle said, chuffed. ‘’Why didn’t you appear sooner? I was looking for you.’’

‘’Oh,’’ Stan looked away. ‘’Don’t get mad, but I was kind of testing to see if you’d stick around, or just give up and leave,’’ Stan said.

‘’Seriously?’’ Kyle is so relieved he decided to sit down here instead of walk back to the lab.

‘’Yeah, sorry about that. I just needed to know for sure you’re who I suspected you were.’’

‘’And what’s that?’’ Kyle asked, subtly glancing down his bare chest. Hot damn.

Stan smiled. ‘’A good person. A believer.’’

‘’Well,’’ Kyle laughed nervously, feeling overly flattered. He shouldn’t have this kind of attention on him for this long, especially from a beautiful miracle of nature such is Stan. ‘’Thank you.’’

‘’I feel indebt to you still. Oh man, if only you could breathe underwater, I could show you some really cool stuff.’’

Kyle had an idea, and deciding it was crazy, said it out loud.

‘’Well, you know I could get snorkelling gear. I’ve got some at home for work,’’ Kyle offered. Stan brightened curiously.

‘’Really? That would be awesome. We could go swimming together!’’

‘’Yeah, it would,’’ Kyle smiled. ‘’But- why? Why me. You don’t even know me, you don’t know how much of a fuck up I am,’’ Kyle said, dooming himself, but unable to get it out of his head. He wasn’t good enough for this, he had too much shit in his life on his hands. Stan smiled even harder, leaning in.

‘’Well I guess I gotta get to know you huh?’’ Stan grinned. Kyle went bright red, but he grinned back. He was pretty sure nothing this good would ever come his way again.

‘’So we’re gonna be friends?’’ Kyle said.

‘’Yeah!’’ Stan said so chirpily that Kyle laughed. ‘’I don’t really make friends down there, I’m always on the move. I’ll probably be going from here soon though.’’

‘’But you can’t just leave!’’ Kyle said, blushing when he heard himself. Stan heard it too, giving him a look of surprise.

‘’I’m not going to- at first. But I’ve never stayed in the same place longer than a few weeks,’’ Stan said softly, apologetically.

‘’But I’ve never met a mermaid before- I don’t even know how you work!’’ Kyle cried out in a flush, heating up at his elementary level words. Stan just grinned.

‘’Well, here we are now. I can show you how I work,’’ Stan said.

‘’But where to even start,’’ Kyle wondered, tracing his eyes back down Stan’s torso, to his black and white tail, the fin casually lifting up and down every so often.

‘’Well, um. You’ve got legs, I see. I’ve got a tail instead, obviously,’’ Stan noted awkwardly, making Kyle smile at his disarmingly sweet manner.

‘’I can see you can breathe out of water. How long can you go out here out of water?’’ Kyle asked.

‘’Well, I’m okay for awhile, but eventually I need to rehydrate my body. So- like, half an hour maybe.’’

‘’What happens if you stay out longer than that?’’

‘’I die, I guess,’’ Stan chuckled. ‘’I don’t know dude, I’ve never risked it. I have heard stories from others who’ve seen it happen.’’

‘’Others? You mean- other mermaids?’’ Kyle asked, trying to wrap his head around that there were more of them like Stan. It was hard enough to make himself believe that there was one sitting right in front of him, smiling like a fool and glimmering in the eyes.

‘’Well, yeah. There’s heaps of us. Usually mermaids don’t migrate, but I’ve been known as an anomaly.’’

‘’Anomaly? How so?’’ Kyle wondered. Maybe other mermaids weren’t as kind and open as Stan was, maybe they had sharp claws and jaws that ate people and their flesh like sushi.

‘’Well, uh, my species- merfolk I guess. It’s kind of cultural to have a purpose for the society following in tradition with our parents, but uh-‘’

‘’What?’’ Kyle asked, intrigued.

‘’Well, see. My mother was a caregiver to the sick, and my dad was a hype-coral harvester.’’

‘’Hype-coral?’’

‘’Yeah- what you don’t know it? It’s like this hallucinogenic sea plant that gives people visions.’’

‘’Oh. Oh! you mean it’s like pot!’’ Kyle said. ‘’Or magic mushrooms.’’

‘’Huh? What’s that?’’ Stan asked.

‘’It’s a drug. Well, it’s what humans use to get high,’’ Kyle explained.

‘’Get high?’’

‘’You know? Getting high? Your brain goes into this higher state of euphoria- high?’’

‘’Oh- right. Yeah, that’s basically what hype-coral does too. But anyway- my parents had their livelihoods in these areas, and I was always destined by my settlement to continue their paths onto my own, just like everyone else. But I didn’t want to- I love my mom and all, but her job was depressing, god I tried it, and but I couldn’t stop seeing all those sick people, some of them dying. And my dad- fuck, I wanted nothing less than going to work with him farming. He’s an idiot, and I care about him, but I so hated those years he had me help him out. I couldn’t wait to get out. The only problem is that it wasn’t normal to leave home, they shunned me for it. But goddamn, there’s a whole ocean out there, and I hadn’t even discovered it.’’

‘’So you’ve been riding waves all over the ocean ever since?’’ Kyle said. Stan laughed.

‘’Damn, that’s a fruity way to put it- but I suppose I have. I wouldn’t be so poetic about it, it’s never been as glorious as I pictured. It gets lonely mostly. It’s a big ocean,’’ Stan said, looking down on himself.

‘’I know what you mean,’’ Kyle said, surprised, but not really. He understood what Stan meant, if he could apply Stan’s completely fantastical story to himself, it would be his own life down to a tee.

‘’Yeah well,’’ Stan sighed. ‘’I never really got to reconcile with them after I left. I thought they were ashamed that I abandoned culture, but mostly I’m just a pussy who’s scared to look them in the eyes. I just keep swimming away from everything, and all my problems never catch up, as long as I don’t let them,’’ Stan said. He laughed. ‘’I bet you think I’m a pathetic asshole now don’t you?’’

‘’No,’’ Kyle said sincerely, getting a quick relieved glance from Stan. ‘’I do know how you feel. I ran from home, from my problems too. If you’re a pussy- well. I guess I am too.’’

They smiled at each other, and Kyle felt as warm as when Stan smiled at him the day before, despite being shivering wet.

‘’Tell me about your home. I’ve rambled on, but I know nothing about you,’’ Stan said.

‘’Well,’’ Kyle pondered for a second whether his own pathetic ass story was even comparable to Stan’s heartbreaking one. It was heartbreaking to him. He’d only just met him, but he felt something. He was crazy, absolutely, but he felt like he knew Stan. He knew him, he did. He sighed and looked out to the marina, where the sun was beginning to rise and blast them with yellow rays. Stan would have to go soon, people would start flocking here for early mornings walks with their dogs.

‘’You don’t have to tell me, it’s okay,’’ Stan said, touching Kyle’s shoulder. Kyle shivered at the coolness of Stan’s hand.

‘’I’m okay. I’ve got nothing special to tell, not as much as yours- but. Um, I grew up in this really small Mountain town, snowing all year around, and no ocean in sight. I lived with my parents- uh, my dad was- is, a lawyer, and my mother works in the PTA-‘’

‘’What’s the PTA?’’ Stan asked.

‘’Oh, the parent teacher association. It’s like a political group for bored moms. But that’s sexist, it’s an activist group volleying for rights in school and town matters, I guess.’’

‘’Oh, we used to have something like that,’’ Stan said.

‘’Oh yeah? Do mermaids have schools?’’ Kyle wondered.

‘’Where do you think the phrase ‘school of fish’ comes from?’’ Stan joked, and Kyle grinned.

‘’Anyways. I grew up in this little town. I’ve always loved marine animals. Man, I used to get so excited when we’d get to go to sea world. Though I’ve come to hate the concept now. Oh jesus, I’ve got a great story to tell you about this one time me and my friends rescued a whale from there,’’ Kyle chuckled, recounting the memory. ‘’For next time though, god I keep going off topic.’’

‘’It’s okay,’’ Stan grinned. ‘’I like hearing you talk.’’

Kyle flushed, and continued.

‘’Despite that adventure, and some others I prefer not to remember in that town, I was pretty lonely the whole time. I mean, I had like one friend, but I couldn’t really share everything with him you know? I wanted the kind of best friend that would know everything about me, and in turn I’d know everything about him, and we wouldn’t even need to speak sometimes, we’d be that close,’’ Kyle rambled, forgetting himself in that wish that he’d held dear for years now. ‘’But yeah, Kenny- my friend, he’s cool, and we still keep in touch, but our paths kind of split when I left that town.’’

‘’Why did you leave?’’ Stan asked curiously.

‘’This is where I’m like you,’’ Kyle joked. ‘’I wanted adventure. I was missing the whole world being stuck in that ice box. I wanted to be near the ocean, in warmth, around the one passion that kept me going in the place that had nothing of it’s sort. So I left town after highschool to pursue a career in Marine Biology. I went to college at UCLA- um here, and I haven’t left since.’’

‘’But you said you wanted to see the world?’’ Stan said sadly.

‘’Yeah, well,’’ Kyle rubbed his neck. ‘’Seeing the world required money, which I didn’t have at the time. I’ve got some now, from working, but I’ve kind of gotten to the point in my life where I just don’t humour silly dreams from highschool anymore,’’ Kyle said. He hoped Stan wouldn’t get offended by that, calling travelling to discover the world ‘silly’. But he just didn’t believe in it anymore.

‘’Well, I suppose there’s many things that would give your life purpose,’’ Stan shrugged, apparently not personally offended, but still looking sad in the eyes. ‘’I mean, there’s love right? And family and stuff. You- have that at least don’t you?’’

Kyle nervously laughed under his breath, averting his eyes. ‘’Um, not really. Unless you count my parents back in South Park, or my brother Ike, who’s living in New York.’’

‘’You have a brother?’’ Stan asked. ‘’I have a sister, she’s got kids now too. I haven’t met them- which makes me a little sad. I don’t like the idea that I’ve got bloodlines that I never even seen, just living in the ocean somewhere.’’

‘’That is a little depressing,’’ Kyle agreed.

‘’Wait- but you’ve got no one here. No love- or girlfriend or anything- however human relationships work?’’ Stan asked in concern.

‘’No,’’ Kyle said, making his voice stronger. ‘’No girlfriend, no love. Because I’m gay.’’

Stan looked confused for a few seconds, blinking at Kyle with his delicate eyelashes. They were like the only feminine feature of his face, Kyle noticed.

‘’Gay? You mean- oh,’’ Stan flushed deep red when he made the connection, and it made Kyle red in turn. ‘’You like- you don’t like girls, ah I see,’’ Stan said, nodding his head, still red faced.

‘’Ha, yuh-yeah,’’ Kyle said, breaking a sweat. Stan furrowed his eyebrows.

‘’But wait- that doesn’t mean you’re not eligible for love. You said it as though you can’t have a family or a relationship for being gay.’’

‘’Well, obviously that’s not what I meant. Of course they can have families- we I mean. Not you and I! I mean, me. Shit, shut me up now please,’’ Kyle groaned, pulling at his curls anxiously.

‘’Hey,’’ Stan said calmly. Kyle glanced at him. ‘’It’s okay. I don’t care, I just find it hard to believe someone as nice and friendly as you hasn’t been taken care of of by someone by now.’’

‘’That’s a nice way to put it,’’ Kyle mumbled. ‘’I’m not friendly, usually. Unless it’s people like you,’’ he said shyly.

‘’People like me,’’ Stan beamed.

‘’It’s not like I set out to be alone all this time- I just. I’ve got this weird complex in myself where I just hate out gay guys. They kind of disgust me. I know I’ve been this picky asshole all this time, but It’s like I can’t even take someone home if they have the smallest flaw or imperfection. I’m kind of fucked up- sorry. I know I should be winning you with a prize attitude so you’ll come back.’’

Stan shook his head, ‘’I like this better. You’re honest, sometimes brutally- goddamn. But it suits you. I like the way you are,’’ Stan smiled. Kyle’s stomach heated up pleasantly, feeling warm all over from Stan. He was too kind for Kyle, who was just a cynical asshole. ‘’And I’m definitely coming back, so you don’t have to worry about that.’’

Kyle beamed this time, and with an insane undiluted glee at this morning he foolishly- _foolishly_ , took Stan’s cool wet hand in his and held it. About two seconds after he did, he realised his grave error, and tried to play it off as an accident, but Stan held on- actually held his hand back, and stared out into the sunrise on the water.

Kyle had not a clue what he was doing, and he had a feeling this kind of weirdness was new for both of them, just a hunch. He wasn’t exactly opposed to it, and the tiniest little spark of hope strickled into his chest as he pondered if this could be it. Maybe he had finally found his wish, that one person who knew him better than anyone, and he could just know it there, without even needing to speak.

That trickle of hope had a very hard edge that Kyle kept in control, because he knew very well not to let foolish hope take over, and also, more rationally- he’d only just met Stan! And he was a freaking goddamn mermaid, which Kyle had been convincing himself all morning before meeting wasn’t real, and he was just majorly insane.

Pushing the reality of this craziness back, that he was currently holding hands with a soulful merman who was also showing sings of becoming the best friend he’d always wanted as a kid, Kyle just ignored the alarm bells in his brain, despite their logic and rational fear of how this could actually end without hurting him in some way, Kyle just sighed and watched the sunrise.

‘’I’ll have to leave soon,’’ Stan said after a while of silence.

‘’You’ll come and see me again won’t you?’’ Kyle asked hopefully. Stan turned back to him and smiled warmly, making Kyle melt, still gripping his hand, tickling his skin with those tiny hooks.

‘’Of course. You still need to tell me that story about Seaworld,’’ Stan grinned, making Kyle reciprocate.

‘’Same place?’’ Kyle suggested.

‘’If you want. Or we could meet at the beach you know. I know this cool secluded spot,’’ Stan offered. ‘’We could talk longer there that way.’’

‘’Oh, yeah okay!’’ Kyle said. ‘’I might have to meet you earlier than today then, because I’ll have to be back for work, that’s where I’ll be heading now.’’

‘’You don’t have a testing kit today,’’ Stan noticed.

‘’Well, yeah. Why would I test water when I can talk to my mermaid friend,’’ Kyle felt like an asshole for calling Stan his friend already, but Stan beamed, so maybe it’s okay. They heard noises coming from the foot of the dock, and Stan slid back into the water smoothly, hiding the magical looking bottom half that Kyle had subtly been studying all morning as they spoke. He wasn’t gazing, he was studying it. For science.

‘’Could you maybe bring something from the ocean tomorrow?’’ Kyle asked.

‘’Sure, as long as you bring something from dry land,’’ Stan said, grinning.

‘’Is there anything in particular you’d like to see or have?’’ Kyle asked.

‘’I have always wanted to try a cheeseburger,’’ Stan said absently, smiling.

‘’Can mermaids even eat cheeseburgers?’’ Kyle wondered. He realised his detailed study on Stan’s anatomy got a little sidetracked today, but he’ll have time to discover everything. They’re meeting again, after all. Kyle is only left now wondering how long that will actually last, since Stan himself said he moves around the ocean a lot.

‘’Shit I dunno. But there's only one way to find out right?’’ Stan laughed.

‘’Alright, I’ll bring you a cheeseburger, but if you end up dying I’ll never forgive you,’’ Kyle said seriously, leaning down to the water where Stan swayed.

‘’Are you already unable to imagine your life without me?’’ Stan teased, wading closer to Kyle’s grin.

‘’Pretty sure,’’ Kyle taunted back. They leaned a little closer, until voices broke them out and backwards.

‘’I gotta go. I’ll find you tomorrow,’’ Stan assured him, nodding before disappearing back under the water.

‘’Bye- Stan,’’ Kyle waved, feeling like an idiot when he realised he was gone, back under the black depths of the ocean. Now he just had to figure out what thing in the human’s world would impress a world weary traveller like Stan for tomorrow.

Fuck, he’s even smiling as he thinks about it, hoping Stan will bring something cool with him for Kyle to obsess over. Even if Stan’s isn’t impressed with what Kyle shows him, he’ll be grateful. Kyle can tell already, just like he can tell a lot of things.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of my fics...are just somebody I used to know. But I'll try and get to know them again. I'll go shopping with them, buy them an orange smoothie. Make love to them by the fire. Everything gay like that, it'll be okay.

Kyle didn’t account to realise he may have overdone it the first time they exchanged gifts from their different worlds. He just had so much stuff he wanted to show Stan that he had to park his car at the Marina instead of his work at dawn. He hauled two boxes full of junk he’d scrounged from his house, feeling it menial to him, but having a sense that Stan might hopefully appreciate them. And appreciate them he did.

Kyle presented him with an alarm clock, headphones and accompanying iPod, a notebook and pen, shirts (he was pretty sure merfolk didn’t wear clothes, considering Stan’s open naked torso that Kyle lost focus whenever he glanced at it, _ahem_ ), a baseball cap, and seaside ornaments collected from mantlepieces around the house. His other box was full of food that Kyle procured from the Asian market in town that afternoon, determined for Stan to try the best of meals humans knew how to cook. He’d brought it as a surprise, and showed the other gifts first.

Stan’s eyes lit up at every trinket and device Kyle presented him, examining them all so delicately and lovingly that Kyle couldn’t stop staring, completely and entirely enslaved to being mystified by him. Kyle explained the use for each one. He went pink when Stan put on the baseball cap, looking adorably goofy. And.. handsome. Huh. Stan was by the edge of the marina, halfway in the water, and leaning up on the drop off point where Kyle sat.

‘’So what’s a notebook for?’’ Stan asked, carefully picking it up with his wet hands so not to cause a rip.

‘’You write things with it- or draw. Like our language, here,’’ Kyle took the notebook and pen and scribbled a strong of words onto the page. It was simple: _Stan is a cool mermaid._

He held it up for Stan to see, watching as Stan leaned forward and squinted his eyes at the words.

‘’What is it?’’ Stan asked. Kyle frowned in disappointment that Stan couldn’t read English.

‘’It says Stan is a cool mermaid,’’ Kyle said. ‘’Can’t you read it?’’

‘’I only know how to speak your language through exchange of mouth. I can’t read it- it looks like little etchings,’’ Stan said, looking back at the words.

‘’How can you know something as niche as the Little Mermaid movie but not know how to read?’’ Kyle asked.

‘’I don’t know,’’ Stan shrugged. ‘’Sorry my fish school never taught us how to speak human. We weren’t exactly preparing to talk to any of you.’’

‘’Did they teach you your own special kind of language or something?’’ Kyle asked.

‘’Well- yeah. We’re not complete illiterate assholes,’’ Stan grinned.

‘’Really? What is it? Can you write it?’’

‘’Umm- yeah, see,’’ Stan took the notebook and pen and started writing things down. Kyle watched with fascination, trying to make out the words. Stan held up a string of foreign letters and symbols that Kyle couldn’t decipher for the life of him.

‘’And what’s that called?’’ Kyle asked.

‘’Uh- a sentence?’’ Stan said, smirking. Kyle laughed and shoved his arm.

‘’Dumbass- I mean what language do you call it,’’ Kyle said.

‘’We call it Atargatisan,’’ Stan said, looking back at it. Kyle tried to recognise any characters that maybe a human language had, but nothing struck him immediately.

‘’Oh!’’ Kyle exclaimed. ‘’I’ll look the words up to see if there’s a human language similar,’’ Kyle said, pulling out his phone from his pocket. Stan lit up when he saw the phone, that Kyle could actually see his eyes twinkling.

‘’What’s that?’’ Stan asked.

‘’Oh!’’ Kyle kicked himself. ‘’It’s my phone- I can’t believe I didn’t show you earlier. It’s like an electronic device with multiple purposes- like calling people, texting, using the internet, playing games, and checking the time.’’

Kyle took from Stan’s confused face that he didn’t know what a lot of those things were. He thought he’d be annoyed with the premise of having to explain technology to Stan- like showing a grandparent how to use Facebook. But it didn’t happen, he was excited- like showing a kid how to use it, that instant warmth from their glowing faces. Stan’s was even better.

‘’I’ll show you how to use this phone later, so you can have a go yourself,’’ Kyle offered. Stan beamed at him.

‘’Really! That would be awesome.’’

Kyle beamed back, feeling punch drunk happy too early in the day. He’d probably be fumbling all day at work because of this- but he barely cared. This was obviously the best thing that had happened to him in years.

‘’Let’s see if google makes any sense of this gibber,’’ Kyle joked, regretting it until Stan laughed. He scanned the words with his camera and waited for a trace from the internet about the mystical language.

‘’Holy shit,’’ Kyle exclaimed, when the screen loaded. ‘’It’s ancient Greek.’’

‘’Atargatisan is ancient Greek?’’ Stan said in surprise.

‘’Yeah dude, you speak one of ours,’’ Kyle said, scrolling on information about the language. ‘’Oh- wait. It’s a dead language. We don’t speak it anymore.’’

‘’Wow- wait, Greek,’’ Stan said. ‘’As in Greece? The culture?’’

‘’Umm- yeah dude. I guess it makes sense. Mermaids were from Greek mythology- I guess,’’ Kyle shrugged.

‘’That’s so weird. Humans used to be able to speak our tongue too,’’ Stan said, splashing his tail up. It had been hidden in the water this whole time that Kyle nearly forgot he had a tail at all. It had felt like he was just talking to a magical guy on the beach like in those ridiculous soft drink commercials. Though that would make him the suntanned babe drooling over the hunk. And ha, no. In so many ways no.

It kind of jolted him when he quickly contemplated everything that occurred these past few days.

‘’So what does it say?’’ Kyle said, pushing it aside and translating the ancient Greek language. He went red when it came up, and looked back at Stan’s grin. _Kyle is a cool human._

‘’Jesus dude,’’ Kyle laughed, not sure if he could handle whatever was happening to him. He watched Stan sort through the junk he gave him, baseball cap still perched unevenly over his shiny wet hair.

‘’Oh- did you bring your own underwater trinkets?’’ Kyle asked, shaking himself out of paralysis for a second.

‘’Oh yeah! I nearly forgot,’’ Stan said, falling back into the water from the ledge. ‘’I’ll be right back.’’

Kyle panicked again, ‘’Wait-‘’

Stan had already plunged back into the water, and all was left was the water ripples. Kyle realised he’d done that every time Stan went back into the water, and wondered if he had some kind of phobia of Stan disappearing for good. It would make sense. For something as majestic and unique as Stan to just disappear again, just after Kyle accepted he wasn’t crazy and it was for real, would just be the cruellest joke ever. He didn’t know how he would go back to the normal world, after seeing, talking and knowing something that would turn a rational man insane.

Besides, he was certain that he’d never return to the ocean if Stan disappeared for good. It made it difficult considering his career. But he just didn’t see himself being able to handle staring at it- knowing what was under there, but never seeing anything pop up. The thought was depressing enough.

So seeing Stan break back up to the surface was greater relief than he should have felt, but he was beaming anyway- and whoops. His eyes quickly went to the collection of odd looking items Stan clutched to his chest. Stan was smiling manically like it was show and tell and he had some cool shit to share. Kyle was leaning forward excitedly like he had some cool shit too.

‘’Okay- I actually have been really wanting to show you this,’’ Stan said, bringing forward a big shell- only it wasn’t. There were little manmade gizmos attached that didn’t occur in nature, tied expertly to the shell base like buttons that crawled up the base. Kyle stared in confused wonder, and Stan let him hold it. He felt quite unprepared for whatever it was. For all he knew it was sex toy. He tried not to think about that though, despite his inappropriate mind going back to it.

‘’So what is it?’’ Kyle asked, unable to decipher what it was himself without blushing.

‘’It’s called a Krill- and travellers and locals use it to make contact with each other in the water in long distances. It warns them that they’re approaching- and they call back with their own- because our voices don’t carry that far,’’ Stan explained.

‘’Wow,’’ Kyle exclaimed, turning it in his hands. ‘’It’s like a phone right? Underwater phone- with no electricity.’’

‘’Well- we can’t play games and check weather with it like yours. But we call- I guess. I use it when I’m approaching new properties to make sure it’s safe before I venture. Usually they answer back- but if they don’t, I’ve gotta decide to risk going in- knowing it could very well be a shark’s den.’’

‘’Your life is quite on the edge huh?’’ Kyle said. ‘’Near death experiences with all the deadly animals of the deep. And you don’t even have phones,’’ he joked.

‘’But see- you press and hold these dials that make certain sounds that the other mermaids can hear. We pick up certain signals down there- it’s weird. I don’t hear them from up here. It’s like it only works in the water.’’

Stan held the tops of Kyle’s hands and led them to a dial on the Krill. Kyle tried to focus on the action, and not the coolness of Stan’s hands. ‘’See, this one you call first- to let anyone listening know that you come as a friend with no harmful intentions. It shows them they can trust you to respond back at all,’’ he moved Kyle’s hands to the dial below. ‘’This one asks them if you have permission to cross their territory. If they answer back- with this dial, you have the right to enter. This last one is a distress call- asking or sending for help if you need- like being attacked by sharks say, or caught in netting and you can’t get out on your own without damage. I would have had to use it if you hadn’t come along the other day.’’

Kyle dragged his awed gaze back to Stan, shivering as Stan’s hands tightening around his. They just stared and blinked at each other for a few seconds, until Kyle forced himself to look away, feeling stupid in himself and not needing Stan’s piercing blue eyes dissecting him right now.

Stan took back the Krill, setting it down in a separate pile from Kyle’s junk. He felt dumb that he had such useless stuff to show Stan- out of the millions of things of humankind he could have shown him, when Stan showed him something that their entire livelihoods depended on. He, a scientist, expected better of himself.

‘’So what else have you got?’’ Kyle swallowed back his tight throat.

‘’Oh- well. That’s the most important one that I thought you’d appreciate. Being a marine biologist and all. Um- this other stuff isn’t so important, I kind of rushed around last minute collecting things,’’ Stan admitted, shading red too. Kyle shouldn’t have smiled, but it was so great, and he couldn’t supress it, and oh well.

‘’What’s this one?’’ Kyle pointed to a wrapped parcel- in seaweed? Stan let out a nervously pitched laugh.

‘’Well- I kind of wanted to show you something we eat. So you don’t think we’re just uncultured savages eating raw hunted fish,’’ Stan said.

‘’That’s crazy- I brought food for you to try too!’’

Stan’s eyes shone up like a light suddenly beamed onto them, and Kyle’s face was unbearably hot, though he couldn’t resist returning the warmth inducing smile.

‘’So what have you brought me from under the sea?’’ Kyle asked.

‘’Where everything’s wetter? Where everything’s better?’’ Stan said, and Kyle shoved him playfully. ‘’Jackass, show me.’’

‘’Okay- stay right there,’’ Stan said, turning back to the water.

‘’I’m not going anywhere,’’ Kyle said too seriously. Stan smiled and hesitated, then dove back under the blanket of water at the dock shore.

Kyle fetched his Asian market meals for Stan while he waited, taking them out to surprise him when he came back up. He ignored his hard beating heart- dubbing it mere excitement to share cultures with someone so beautifully exotic. He wondered if anyone else had befriend a mermaid in the world. Probably not. Stan mentioned they were usually reserved and secretive when it came to the surface world. It only made Kyle feel luckier- but really, Stan was so open and kind that he had to wonder if anyone surveying the water he’d befriend like this. Though not anyone would risk hypothermia to save a ‘whale’, Kyle reminded himself proudly.

Kyle waited for Stan to see the fresh colourful meals once he resurfaced, but Stan was too excited about his own package he held to notice them yet.

‘’Okay!’’ Stan exclaimed happily. ‘’Inside this is a platter we have on special occasions- you know, to celebrate catching more fish than usual in farming families- where I’m from.’’

Kyle examined the package with interest. It was wholly wrapped in seaweed, dripping wet and green, so Kyle had to wonder what it was concealing. Then he realised Stan wasn’t moving, or speaking. Meeting Stan’s eyes, he found a pair of gobbsmacked glowing eyes staring at Kyle’s food.

‘’What-‘’ Stan started, jaw dropping open. Kyle grinned at his dopey surprise, bringing the market food forward. Specialty dishes of Korean and Japanese cuisine, held in rounded containers and filled with fresh vegetables and noodles Kyle had hoped would impress Stan.

‘’This is only a small piece of the food we have up here,’’ Kyle said proudly, pushing it in front of Stan. Stan dropped his package, and glowed down at the food in pure delight.

‘’It’s- so colourful,’’ Stan uttered, blinking at it in awe.

‘’Want to try some?’’ Kyle offered, watching in his own kind of delight at Stan’s expression. Happiness and surprise mostly. With a little graciousness. He nodded slowly.

‘’It looks like coral- you can eat this?’’ Stan asked in disbelief, bending over to look at it and not touching, as though it was too precious to be allowed.

‘’Yeah!’’ Kyle said, overenthusiastically grabbing a fork for Stan to use. He considered chopsticks- but decided Stan could practise on them later. It occurred to Kyle that he’d been thinking about Stan as a permanent friend here in California. For a few minutes now. How could he not be?

Oh- a dinglehopper!’’ Stan exclaimed when Kyle handed him the fork. Kyle laughed again, and Stan grinned. ‘’Aren’t you glad I’ve seen that movie now- so you don’t trick me with that one.’’

‘’Oh for sure,’’ Kyle said. ‘’Come on and try this- it’s a Korean poke bowl.’’

‘’I feel unworthy,’’ Stan said as he forked a serving up and held it up. Kyle watched him when he took the first bite, hoping it wouldn’t be a disappointment. Maybe Stan had truly been eating down a king down there? With foods Kyle could begin to imagine.

So, it was a guilty surprised glee that Stan’s face lit up, his eyes glowed and he groaned with his mouth full like he’d just tasted heaven. Kyle beamed with relief.

‘’ _Ohh_ , that’s incredible- _fuck_ ,’’ Stan moaned, shovelling more into his mouth rapidly like a starving hungover. ‘’How does it get that flavour!’’

‘’Seasoning, as mentioned,’’ Kyle grinned, enjoying Stan’s ravenous eating. It’s about time this son of a bitch didn’t look perfect and model worthy, with that dripping inky hair and water flecked chest-

‘’I was worried you wouldn’t like it,’’ Kyle said instead of thinking about it any longer.

‘’Dude- that’s the best fucking thing I’ve ever eaten- god!’’ Stan exclaimed, going back at it.

‘’I’m glad you like it,’’ Kyle said. ‘’I didn’t make it though.’’

‘’I didn’t make mine either,’’ Stan shrugged. ‘’Oh yeah! Try this.’’

Stan parted with his beloved dish to grab and unwrap the seaweed package for Kyle. Curiosity peaked, Kyle watched Stan present a bizarre arrangement of underwater leafy looking things, with an unidentified substance rolled inside.

‘’What is it?’’ Kyle asked. They looked pretty amazing.

‘’It’s crableaf rolls, see?’’ Stan said, picking up a finger sized roll and putting it to Kyle’s lips. Kyle blushed and opened his mouth, trying not to take it personally how welcome that gesture was.

He was surprised the leaves were bitter and dense- hard to chew. Stan watched him, and Kyle panicked to think he’d have to fake enjoy it. But- then.

A full explosion of fucking fantasy taste and flavour- like- like. Jesus fucking Christ, wow.

‘’Wow- oh my god, that’s _so_ fucking good!’’ Kyle exclaimed, probably looking like a glowing idiot. Stan beamed back anyway, but Kyle could care less, and grabbed another roll and popped it in. ‘’It’s like that initial bitterness is just turned amazing by that inside- what is it- crab? Hah- fucking hell wow.’’

‘’Really?’’ Stan said. ‘’Oh that’s a relief,’’ and he was back into the poke bowl.

They spent the rest of the morning scoffing down their respective meals, each commenting in disbelief how fucking amazing they were, and how much they weren’t used to those kind of kickass flavours. By the end of it he felt like he’d found a respective foodie in Stan, which excited him more than it should have.

Once they’d eaten in record time, and shared the leftover poke bowls Kyle brought, Kyle realised they should probably bring up that elephant in the room. Kyle didn’t want it to be too late.

‘’So- how long are you staying?’’ Kyle asked, trying to reduce the sound of pathetic hope in his voice in case it was useless. Stan turned to him from his spot up on the grass where Kyle had sat all morning. He’d moved up to the surface after they finished eating, and they watched the sunrise together in slightly nervous companiable silence.

‘’I don’t know,’’ Stan said, looking out again. ‘’I’ve never stayed in one place longer than a week,’’ Stan said apologetically.

‘’I know- but,’’ Kyle had to try this, or he’d lose the only friend he’d made in this fucking place. The only one that he could tolerate being around anyway. ‘’Couldn’t you stay longer this time? For me- _maybe_?’’

Kyle winced for Stan’s reaction, which was slow. He turned back to Kyle, and Kyle forced himself to keep contact with those cerulean blue eyes for seriousness purposes.

‘’I- I’m not sure,’’ Stan said. ‘’I like you- and this has been the best few days I’ve had in ages. But- I’m not sure.’’

‘’It’s okay if you wanna leave,’’ Kyle said, chest hurting a little. ‘’Just know that I’ll remember you forever- whichever corner of the earth you end up.’’

‘’Kyle,’’ Stan said, and Kyle had to avoid the blue eyes lest he start tearing up. It was stupid and irrational, and he felt like a child not getting what they want. But his throat was tight anyway, and it would just be easier if Stan slid off the grass and back into the water forever anyway.

‘’You’re not a murderer right?’’ Stan asked out of nowhere. Kyle just had to remeet his eyes with the absurdity of the question.

‘’No,’’ Kyle laughed, shakily, still painfully unhinged.

‘’Soo- if I invited you to the beach with me on your next free day- you wouldn’t murder me?’’ Stan asked, breaking a nervous smile.

Kyle breathed relief at the meaning of the question, and laughed out the remaining shake in his throat.

He fell onto Stan and hugged him in response. Stupidly- _stupidly._

Though he realised also that this was the first time touching him- hugging him. And fuck if he’s not making that shit last. He held tight and smiled when Stan returned it after the surprise, getting water onto his work clothes. Like he cared.

‘’Thank you,’’ Kyle said, forcing himself to finally break contact. ‘’You won’t regret it though- I’ll bring you different food every day! And I’ll make these meets last- you’ll wanna stay forever!’’

Stan widened his eyes, and Kyle grinned sheepishly, forgetting himself. Though- it’s not like that’s not the ultimate plan.

He’s got only a few weeks to convince a handsome merman to platonically spend the rest of his life with him. Oh boy.

‘’So- when’s your next off day?’’ Stan asked, not looking much phased at all, and Kyle beamed. Even better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuck I want sushi

**Author's Note:**

> [Follow me if you choose :3](https://www.instagram.com/lozislaw/)


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